Liquid crystal display (LCD) clusters are employed to provide variable illuminated displays on instruments panels, calculators, computers, watches, and many other electronic or electromechanical devices. LCD clusters are particularly well suited for the instruments panels of automotive vehicles. More particularly, increasingly complex and more extensive electronic circuits are employed in automotive vehicles to monitor vehicular operating conditions. The electronic circuits of an automotive vehicle monitor and report basic vehicular functions and operating conditions such as vehicular speed, engine speed, fuel level and oil pressure. More sophisticated circuits also monitor door and trunk locks, tire pressure, sound system components, seat belt operations and many other functions. LCD clusters are well suited to providing clear readable, visual indications of these and other monitored engine vehicular operating conditions.
The typical LCD cluster comprises a liquid crystal matrix appropriately mounted in or to a substrate which has a plurality of discrete conductive regions disposed in spaced relationship along a linear mating edge thereof. The conductive regions are disposed along the mating edge to be engaged by terminals in an LCD cluster connector. More particularly, the prior art LCD cluster connector comprises a non-conductive housing having an elongated slot for receiving the mating edge of an LCD cluster. The connector further includes a plurality of spaced apart terminals. Each terminal has one or more contact beams adjacent to the slot of the housing and disposed to contact a corresponding conductive region along the mating edge of the LCD cluster. Thus, the mating edge of the LCD cluster is slid or rotated into the slot of the connector such that the discrete conductive regions along the mating edge of the LCD cluster will be engaged by corresponding terminals in the connector.
Automotive vehicles are not ideal environments for the complex electronic circuitry described above. An automotive vehicle is subjected to almost continuous vibration and frequent physical shock during its normal usage. Automotive vehicles also are subjected to extreme ranges of temperature and are frequently subjected to moisture and corrosive materials. Vehicles also undergo periodic maintenance by technicians who often are not trained to handle the small, fragile electronic circuits properly. Hence, it is common for an automotive mechanic to inadvertently damage electronic circuitry while performing routine mechanical maintenance on a vehicle.
Prior art LCD connectors that are well suited for office machines, computers, clocks or the like often are not well suited for automotive applications. More particularly, the hostile conditions to which an automobile is subjected create the potential for minor shifts of terminals in the LCD connector housing. Such shifts can cause the terminal of the LCD connector to disengage from the conductive region along the mating edge of the LCD cluster. Such disengagement may cause the LCD cluster to fail in reporting a vital engine function or vehicular operation condition or to misreport such condition.
In view of the hostile automotive environment, the LCD connectors intended for automotive applications have employed insert molding for positioning the terminals in the LCD connector housing. Insert molding typically will achieve accurately positioned terminals that are surrounded and supported by the unitary matrix of plastic material and that are not subject to shifting even in response to extensive vibration or shock or extreme ranges of temperature. However, insert molding imposes a substantial cost penalty on the LCD connector. In this regard, the electronics industry is very competitive and even small cost penalties or savings can be very significant.
An example of an LCD connector that is not insert molded is shown in German Patentschrift 30 23 614 which issued on Mar. 19, 1987. The terminal shown in the LCD connector of the German reference is not securely positioned in the LCD connector housing and therefore would be likely to shift in response to the above described hostile automotive environmental conditions.
In view of the above, it is an object of the subject invention to provide an LCD connector that is well suited for automotive applications.
Another object of the subject invention is to provide an LCD connector that avoids insert molding of terminals in the connector housing.
It is another object of the subject invention to provide an automotive LCD connector having terminals that are positively and accurately positioned relative to the LCD cluster receiving slot in the housing.
Still a further object of the subject invention is to provide an LCD connector that is accurately and conveniently mountable to a circuit board.